MA entrepreneurs fear local resistance, fees will hinder recreational cannabis rollout

Massachusetts’ recreational marijuana program is set to launch July 1, but cannabis business executives in the state predict that fewer than a dozen retail marijuana stores will be ready to open.

“It’s going to take 18 to 24 months until there’s a robust retail marketplace,” David Torrisi, president of the Commonwealth Dispensary Association, told The Boston Globe.

The biggest reason behind the slow rollout, officials said, is that roughly two-thirds of the state’s 351 towns and cities have either banned or issued moratoriums on marijuana businesses, according to the newspaper.

Furthermore, many Massachusetts towns will grant marijuana businesses a so-called community host agreement – a requirement to get a license – only if they’ve paid fees that are often exorbitant.

For example, medical cannabis company CommCan bought the town of Medway $263,000 in fire department equipment and paid an additional $55,000 in fees, the Globe noted.

Then to get the community host agreement required for a rec license, CommCan agreed to pay the town $500,000 over five years.